Top theatre to see in London in September | London Theatre

Find out the best shows to see in London in September 2024, from Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing to Juno and the Paycock, starring Mark Rylance and J. Smith-Cameron.

Summer is ending, and it’ll soon be colder and darker… but who cares? That just makes it the perfect time to head to the theatre! And of course, autumn means an exciting influx of big show openings, in the West End and in London’s subsidised and fringe scenes. In fact, there are so many September shows that you could easily spend every night at the theatre.

So, what are the real must-see events? How about Mark Rylance and Succession‘s J. Smith-Cameron playing opposite one another in Juno and the Paycock, which follows a struggling family during the Irish Civil War. Or perhaps you might be interested in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, a story about love and infidelity that stars Bel Powley, James McArdle, Susan Wokoma, and Oliver Johnstone. You can find an alternative tale of love with the West End transfer of Benedict Lombe’s Shifters, which follows teenage sweethearts Des and Dre.

Here are our top picks for London theatre in September 2024. Book tickets to shows in September 2024 on London Theatre.

This classic musical about Jewish milkman Tevye’s attempt to marry off his daughters, in the Russian village of Anatevka at the turn of the 20th century, is definitely one to add to your “must see” list. Helmed by Jordan Fein (who co-directed the Young Vic’s Oklahoma!) and starring Broadway veteran Adam Dannheisser as Tevye, the show romps through Bock and Harnick’s classic songs – including “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Tradition” – like they were newly minted. This is the last show of Timothy Sheader’s Regent’s Park stewardship before his new tenure at the Donmar Warehouse, and the artistic director has ensured he goes out with a bang.

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Star casting sees Succession’s J. Smith-Cameron teamed with all-round-national-treasure Mark Rylance in this new Seán O’Casey adaptation. Set during the Irish Civil War, matriarch Juno and her fantasist husband, “Captain” Jack Boyle, are struggling to keep their heads above water when news of an inheritance provides a potential end to their financial woes. Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical) directs the acclaimed Irish drama that catapults audiences from belly-laughs to pathos.

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Dying to do the Time Warp again? Then head down to the Dominion where Jason Donovan is back in stockings and suspenders as the irrepressible Dr Frank-n-Furter. Richard O’Brien’s cult classic focuses on wholesome college kids Brad and Janet, whose car breakdown outside the transvestite doctor’s creepy mansion leads to a fun-filled sexual awakening. Expect a party atmosphere during fan favourites such as “Sweet Transvestite” and “Dammit Janet”. Dressing up optional but encouraged!

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Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Samuel Beckett’s play – widely considered one of the most important of the 20th century – is characteristically oblique, leaving the text open to a myriad of interpretations. In James Macdonald’s new production, Ben Whishaw (Paddington, Julius Caesar) and Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) play Estragon and Vladimir, two characters sitting under a tree awaiting the appearance of the mysterious Godot. They don’t know who he is or when he’s coming, just that his arrival may bring seismic change.

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The famously cerebral Tom Stoppard wears his heart on his sleeve in this autobiographical tale of love and infidelity. James McArdle (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Angels in America) plays playwright Henry, whose affair with actress Annie (played by A Small Light’s Bel Powley) sets off a domino effect of despair and deception. The multi-layered play – one of Stoppard’s most commercially successful – poses the question: when it comes to love and art, what constitutes the “real thing”?

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Shifters, Duke of York’s Theatre

This transfer from the Bush Theatre has rightly garnered praise from critics and audiences alike. Writer Benedict Lombe has crafted an irresistible tale of enduring love as teenage sweethearts Des and Dre meet again after eight years and tentatively stir the embers of their past relationship. Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole bring undeniable chemistry and pathos to a story that questions whether an old flame can ever be fully extinguished.

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Killer high school weirdos make excellent villains and there’s perhaps no creepier surly young psychopath than Henry Creel of Stranger Things. Known as the limb-cracking dream master Vecna in the Netflix series, in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Henry’s backstory (and adolescent crush, aww…) are explored with terrifying results. With the fifth and final season of the TV show just around the corner, now’s the time to check out this
important prequel.

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